Friday afternoon I drove down to Rice to attend a board dinner with BJ at Trevisio. Â Before that, I celebrated the end of the work week with some candy.
Spinach and cheese ravioli. We just heated pre-made ones up and added sauce. Not quite in full cooking mode yet, but trying to get warmed up.
“I can’t believe it’s been a year since I’ve had a beignet!!!” ~ BJ at Crescent City Beignets
We made crepes for breakfast. Nothing beats homemade whip cream. And it’s so simple to whip up! har har.
Uh oh. Look at those eyes.
Okay, you win, Igby.
 
On the drive back from the ceremony.
Getting breakfast thanks to Yelp. Mmmmm.
What a wonderful weekend! I’m so sad that it’s gone. Getting back to work and routines have been difficult after visiting friends, reconnecting with those who drifted away, and making new connections. For two whole days, we were surrounded by an overwhelming amount of joy and love, especially a common love for C & T. I was getting so emotional throughout the wedding day. Whew. It reminded me of the feeling of community at Notre Dame and how BJ and I long for it now. On the bright side, it makes me super excited for our wedding.
I survived another first week of school year! On Saturday, I took a technology certification test. Ugh. I’ll try not to sound so negative, but they really need to break down the test into smaller areas of concentration. Networking is my enemy!
Ibgy is a flirt.
Tonight, my siblings and our cousin Long went to Houston Restaurant Week at Quattro in the Four Season Hotel. It’s basically going to be our only fine dining meal of the year and a portion goes to charity. They even gave us a separate dining room. Fancy, eh?
BJ’s Duo of Duck with cannelloni, apple & fennel slaw, and bitter sardinian honey.
My oven-roasted sea bass with little neck clams, fregula, grape tomatoes, and basil-saffron broth.
Our dessert: limoncello panna cotta!
We have several nice cookbooks, bought tons of magazines that boast about the 50 best recipes or 101 grilling tips, and love watching the Food Network and Top Chef. But by the end of the day, we’re too exhausted to prepare dinner. I think once things settle down a bit, we’ll give it another go. Stay tuned…
Saturday I cleaned 7 screens and was so relieved that all the screen filler came off despite being on there for at least 4 months. It only took 5-10 minutes for each one, which is much better than 45 minutes! Using a larger brush and high water pressure made all the difference. Afterwards, we headed down to Rice to work. I love the view outside his office window. Beats my windowless room and florescent lights!
BJ took my sister, Tam, and I on a tour of the campus via the golf cart. He was going so fast we couldn’t help but grin wildly like fools as we whizzed by all the students. You know when that happens? It’s kind of like a little kid on swings, only we rarely ever experience that kind of thrill now. I was thinking “Stop smiling so widely. People are walking around in the heat and you don’t want them to think you’re rubbing it in their face.” Anyways, most of the ride also consist of me begging BJ to obey the stop signs, not run over people on the side walks, not ride through a cricket game, or run the the stadium ramp.
Since Tam is leaving for school soon. We took her out to Oporto Cafe for some tapas.
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The beef skewers were so tender and flavorful.
Super refreshing caipirinhas- I think we’ll have to serve these at the reception.
For dinner, we met up at Aka and had some sushi with Trang, Ky, Andrew, and Tu-Anh. So all in all, a delicious Saturday.
(updated: I first used photos, but B suggested I do illustrations. Genius. I was so excited to a paint. They’re a bit rough around the edges because I made myself not use a pencil and eraser, but who likes perfect right?)
I love it when my family from France brings over sweet. These biscuits are one of my favorites, but I almost ate the entire thing. Not feeling so great right now. Should of shared.
Most regretted purchase this week on the left. Yuck. So I went out and bought snack size Sour Patch Kids thinking the smaller sizes would slow down my daily candy intake. Not  working! I’ve been eating 4 bags a day.Â
I’ve been craving this since last night! Reminds me of South Bend, Providence, & mostly BJ
I have a dentist appointment tomorrow and I’m already dreading it! No cavities for me!
On our first night in Chicago, we stayed with Mairead in Pilsen and grabbed food at Skylark, a kinda dive bar with yummy inexpensive food. So delicious that we ate there twice during our trip. I mean they serve a different creme brulee each night, come on! Another plus, they had a photobooth and I made both of them take pics with me. I think it’ll have to be a definitely stop anytime we’re in town. Thanks Mairead for bringing us there!
Oh, this Chicago vacation was so good for the both of us! We walked around everywhere and enjoyed the beautiful weather. These sore legs are so worth it.Â
The next day, I grabbed lunch Nina and Vanessa, and we stopped by the Lego Store on Michigan Avenue. I only filled a small container with legos, but BJ bought a big box that needed to be shipped back to Texas. Now that I think about it, he could’ve brought it here!
Jackie and Jen arrived from their long drive. It has been way too long since I’ve seen them, and we picked up where we left off, minus the Gilmore Girls marathons and floating down St. Joseph River :) I miss them all the time.
Chicago is a feast for the eyes, and we ate it up. I love the flowers that lined the street and all the sculptures. While waiting for Catherine and Trevor to eat brunch, we killed some time at the park near the Art Institute. (Shoes: cheap saltwater sandals that were super-comfortable to walk in. Shorts: Richard Chai for Target Go International. My mom thinks they’re too bright, but that’s kinda why I love them.)
 We ate  at Yolk, and it was so delicious that we went one more time with Vanessa before flying out. Catherine & Trevor are getting married very soon, and we talked a little about wedding plans and ways to save money. It’s very nice to have friends who are going through something similar. I mean, who wants to talk to me about deals on caterers and seasonal flowers? I wish we got to see all of our friends for longer, but we enjoyed every moment of our trip with them. That has got to be the highlight!
I’m procrastinating right now. :) We spent most of this weekend downtown, and I’m sad it is going to end soon. On Friday, BJ and I went to Oporto Cafe, a tapas spot, where we had no trouble finding delicious non-meat dishes. Afterwards, we had a little bit of time to spare, so we headed to the Rice Village for dessert at the Chocolate Bar, a stop to buy old-school candy (remember the zebra gum with tattoos!), and a quick browse through Half-Price Books. BJ bought “the best” book on depression, a book by one of his favorite film critics, “the best” book on Italian Cinema, “the best” history of the Civil War, “the best” documentary history of Abstract Expressionism—I’m not sure when these will be read, but… :). I bought an illustration book filled with 5000 high resolution animal drawings. We ended the night at Red Door for a friend’s birthday. Pretty good for a Friday night huh?